Devices, systems, and methods for preparing field samples

ABSTRACT

A system for preparing a test sample includes a vial holder, a needle trap connected to the vial holder, and a sample preparation station. The vial holder includes a vial chamber configured to hold a vial, a purge gas needle, and a needle trap heater. The needle trap includes a needle with the needle trap heater surrounding a distal end portion of the needle. A packing bed is disposed in the needle at the distal end portion. The sample preparation station includes a housing and a vial heater assembly including a vial heater and defining a cavity. The vial holder is configured to be received in the cavity in an installed position with the vial heater surrounding at least a portion of the vial.

BACKGROUND

Use of purge and trap (P&T) and heated head space (HHS) equipment iscommon in the laboratory. Such devices are less common for fieldsampling.

SUMMARY

According to some embodiments of the technology, a system for preparinga test sample includes a vial holder, a needle trap connected to thevial holder, and a sample preparation station. The vial holder includesa body, a vial chamber extending downwardly from the body and configuredto hold a vial, a purge gas needle extending downwardly from the body,and a needle trap heater in the body. The needle trap includes a needlewith the needle trap heater surrounding a distal end portion of theneedle. The needle trap includes at least one packing bed disposed inthe needle at the distal end portion. The sample preparation stationincludes a housing and a vial heater assembly in and/or on the housing.The vial heater assembly includes a vial heater and defines a cavity.The vial holder is configured to be received in the cavity in aninstalled position with the vial heater surrounding at least a portionof the vial.

In some embodiments, the vial holder includes a needle trap protectionneedle extending downwardly from the body. The distal end portion of theneedle trap needle may be received in the needle trap protection needle.The needle trap heater may surround at least a portion of the needletrap protection needle.

In some embodiments, the vial chamber defines a longitudinal axis, thepurge needle defines a purge needle axis that is substantially coaxialwith the longitudinal axis, and/or the needle trap protection needledefines a needle trap protection needle axis that is offset from andsubstantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, the needle trap heater is configured to heat at anoffset temperature that is higher than a temperature that the vialheater heats the vial. The offset temperature may be at least 1° C. toavoid water condensation on the at least one packing bed. The samplepreparation station may include a controller. The controller may beconfigured to independently operate the needle trap heater and the vialheater to heat at different temperatures.

In some embodiments, the vial heater assembly includes a needle trapheater connection. The vial holder may include a vial heater connection.The needle trap heater connection and the vial heater connection mayengage one another when the vial holder is received in the cavity in theinstalled position. The sample preparation station may include a powersource. The power source may be configured to power both the needle trapheater and the vial heater.

In some embodiments, the system includes the vial and a sample held inthe vial. The sample preparation station may include a pressurized gassupply containing an inert gas. The gas supply may be in fluidcommunication with the gas purge needle when the vial holder is receivedin the cavity in the installed position. The gas supply and the purgeneedle are configured to purge the sample in the vial with the inert gassuch that analytes are trapped on the at least one packing bed of theneedle trap.

In some embodiments, the system is portable and configured to be used inthe field.

Some other embodiments of the technology are directed to a method ofpreparing a test sample. The method includes providing a vial comprisinga septum at an upper portion thereof, a vial holder, a needle trap, anda sample preparation station. The vial holder includes a body, a vialchamber extending downwardly from the body, a purge gas needle extendingdownwardly from the body, and a needle trap heater in the body. Theneedle trap includes a needle having a distal end portion and at leastone packing bed disposed in the needle at the distal end portion. Thesample preparation station includes a housing and a vial heaterassembly. The vial heater assembly includes a vial heater and defines acavity. The method includes: connecting the needle trap and the vialholder such that the needle trap heater surrounds at least a portion ofthe at least one packing bed; then inserting the vial into the vialchamber of the vial holder such that the purge gas needle pierces theseptum of the vial; and then inserting the vial holder into the cavityof the vial heater assembly such that the vial heater surrounds at leasta portion of the vial.

In some embodiments, the vial holder includes a needle trap protectionneedle extending downwardly from the body. Connecting the needle trapand the vial holder may include receiving the needle of the needle trapin the needle trap protection needle of the vial holder. Inserting thevial into the vial chamber of the vial holder may include piercing theseptum of the vial with the needle trap protection needle.

In some embodiments, the method includes heating a sample in the vialusing the vial heater having a first temperature setting, heating the atleast one packing bed using the needle trap heater having a secondtemperature setting, and purging the sample by injecting an inert gasthrough the purge gas needle. The second temperature setting may behigher than the first temperature setting.

In some embodiments, the vial heater assembly includes a needle trapheater connection. The vial holder may include a vial heater connectionon the body. Inserting the vial holder into the cavity of the vialheater assembly may include connecting the needle trap heater connectionand the vial heater connection such that the sample preparation stationprovides power to the needle trap heater.

In some embodiments, the vial chamber comprises a terminal end definingan end opening. Inserting the vial into the vial chamber of the vialholder may include receiving the upper portion of the vial through theend opening and urging the vial toward the body of the vial holder.

In some embodiments, the vial holder includes a plate and a springdisposed in the vial chamber. The purge gas needle may extend through acenter of the plate. The plate may translate toward the body of the vialholder and the spring may compress as the vial is urged toward the bodyof the vial holder.

Some other embodiments of the technology are directed to a vial holderfor use in a system for preparing a sample. The vial holder includes abody, a vial chamber held by and extending downwardly from the body, apurge gas needle held by and extending downwardly from the body in thevial chamber, and a needle trap heater in the body and surrounding atleast a portion of the needle trap protection needle. The vial holder isconfigured to connect with a needle trap such that a needle of theneedle trap containing at least one bed of packing material is at leastpartially surrounded by the needle trap heater. The vial holder with theneedle trap connected thereto is configured to receive the vial in thevial chamber such that the purge needle punctures a septum that ispositioned at an upper portion of the vial. The vial holder with theneedle trap connected thereto and the vial received therein isconfigured to be slidably received in a vial heater assembly of a samplepreparation station in an installed position with the vial at leastpartially surrounded by a vial heater of the vial heater assembly.

In some embodiments, the vial holder includes a plate in the vialchamber and a spring between the plate and the body. The vial chambermay include a terminal end defining an end opening. The vial holder maybe configured to receive the vial through the end opening and into thevial chamber such that the plate is urged upwardly and the spring iscompressed. The vial chamber may define a central axis. The purge needlemay extend along the central axis. The purge needle may extend throughthe plate. The plate and the spring may cooperate to maintain the purgeneedle along the central axis as the vial holder receives the vial.

In some embodiments, the vial holder includes a vial heater connectionon the body. The vial heater connection may be configured to engage aneedle trap heater connection on the vial heater assembly when the vialholder is slidably received in the vial heater assembly of the samplepreparation station in the installed position.

In some embodiments, the vial holder includes a needle trap coverextending downwardly from the body in the vial chamber. The needle trapcover may be configured to receive the needle of the needle trap whenthe vial holder is connected to the needle trap.

Further features, advantages and details of the present technology willbe appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading ofthe figures and the detailed description of the preferred embodimentsthat follow, such description being merely illustrative of the presenttechnology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for preparing test samplesaccording to some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sample preparation station of thesystem of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vial holder of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective sectional view of the vial holder taken alongthe line I-I′ of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective sectional view of the vial holder of FIG. 4 witha vial inserted into the vial holder.

FIG. 6 is a perspective sectional view of a vial heater assemblyassociated with the sample preparation station of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is another perspective view of the vial holder of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a needle trap of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a cutaway side view of the needle trap of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the needle trap of FIG. 8 installed onthe vial holder of FIG. 3 to form a vial holder-needle trap assembly.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a vial inserted into the vial holder ofthe vial holder-needle trap assembly of FIG. 10 to form a vialholder-needle trap-vial assembly.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the vial holder-needletrap-vial assembly of FIG. 11 inserted in a cavity defined by the vialheater assembly of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present technology now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrativeembodiments of the technology are shown. In the drawings, the relativesizes of regions or features may be exaggerated for clarity. Thistechnology may, however, be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thoroughand complete, and will fully convey the scope of the technology to thoseskilled in the art.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being“coupled” or “connected” to another element, it can be directly coupledor connected to the other element or intervening elements may also bepresent. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directlycoupled” or “directly connected” to another element, there are nointervening elements present. Like numbers refer to like elementsthroughout. As used herein the term “and/or” includes any and allcombinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

In addition, spatially relative terms, such as “under,” “below,”“lower,” “over,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will beunderstood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompassdifferent orientations of the device in use or operation in addition tothe orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device inthe figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath”other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the otherelements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompassboth an orientation of over and under. The device may be otherwiseoriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatiallyrelative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail forbrevity and/or clarity.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the technology.As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,”“comprising,” “includes” and/or “including,” when used in thisspecification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude thepresence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps,operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

It is noted that any one or more aspects or features described withrespect to one embodiment may be incorporated in a different embodimentalthough not specifically described relative thereto. That is, allembodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any wayand/or combination. Applicant reserves the right to change anyoriginally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including theright to be able to amend any originally filed claim to depend fromand/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although notoriginally claimed in that manner. These and other objects and/oraspects of the present technology are explained in detail in thespecification set forth below.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this technology belongs. It willbe further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly useddictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art andwill not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unlessexpressly so defined herein.

Referring to FIG. 1, a system 10 for preparing samples includes a samplepreparation station 100, a vial holder 200, a vial 202, and a needletrap 300.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the sample preparation station 100 includesa housing 102. The station 100 includes a vial heater assembly 110. Thevial heater assembly 110 defines a vial holder receiving cavity 112. Asdescribed in more detail below, the receiving cavity 112 is configuredto receive the vial holder 200 that is holding the vial 202. The vialheater assembly 110 also includes a vial heater 114 and a temperaturesensor 115 such as a resistance temperature detector (RTD) sensor.

The station 100 may further include a pressurized gas supply 116, acontroller 118, and a human-machine interface (HMI) 120. The station 100includes a power supply 122 (e.g., one or more batteries). The powersupply 122 is configured to supply power to the vial heater assembly110, the gas supply 116, the controller 118, and/or the HMI 120.

The station 100 is portable and configured to prepare samples in thefield. The station 100 may include a handle 124 coupled to the housing102.

The vial holder 200 is illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. The vial holder 200includes a body 204 and a vial chamber 206 extending downwardly from thebody 204. The chamber 206 defines a cavity 208. A purge gas needle 210and an optional needle trap protection needle or needle trap cover 212also extend downwardly from the body 204 and into the cavity 208.

A needle guide assembly 214 is in the chamber 206. The needle guideassembly 214 may include a plate 216 and a spring 218. The spring-loadedplate 216 may hold the purge gas needle 210 in position when the vial isinserted in the chamber 206 as described below.

The chamber 206 defines a longitudinal or central axis L-L. The purgegas needle 210 defines a purge gas needle axis P-P. The needle trapprotection needle 212 may define a needle trap protection needle axisN-N. The purge gas needle axis P-P may be coaxial with the chamberlongitudinal axis L-L. The needle trap protection needle axis N-N may beoffset from and parallel to the chamber longitudinal axis L-L.Therefore, the purge gas needle 210 may be centered in the chamber 206and the needle trap protection needle 212 may be off center in thechamber 206.

The purge gas needle 210 may be a pencil point needle with a pluralityof holes (e.g., 12 holes) in the side just above the point. The needletrap protection needle 212 may be a pencil point needle with a singleside hole.

A terminal end 220 of the chamber 206 defines a chamber opening 222 thatcommunicates with the chamber cavity 208. The vial 202 is inserted intothe chamber 206 by receiving the vial through the chamber opening 222and into the chamber cavity 206. The plate 216 is urged upwardly and thespring 218 is compressed as the vial is inserted into the chamber 206.

The vial 202 includes a body 224 and a septum 226 at an upper portion227 of the body 224. The purge gas needle 210 and the needle trapprotection needle 212 may pierce the septum 224 as the vial is insertedinto the chamber to a fully inserted position shown in FIG. 5.

An aperture 228 is defined in the plate 216. The needle trap protectionneedle 212 may be received through the plate 216 as the plate 216 isurged upwardly in response to insertion of the vial 202 into the chamber206.

A purge gas inlet 230 is connected to or defined in the body 204. Apurge gas flow channel 232 is defined in the body 204 and extendsbetween the purge gas inlet 230 and the purge gas needle 210. The purgegas inlet 230 is in fluid communication with the gas supply 116 (FIG.1). A check valve 234 may be provided to prevent back flow of the purgegas.

Seals 236, 238 are provided in the body 204 to force a sample throughthe needle trap, as described in more detail below.

A needle trap heater 240 is in the body 204. The needle trap heater 240may surround at least a portion of the needle trap protection needle212. The needle trap heater 240 may be generally cylindrical. The needletrap heater 240 may extend to a bottom of the body 204. The vial holder200 also includes a temperature sensor 242 such as a RTD sensor (FIG.1).

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 6, the vial heater assembly 110 defines thecavity 112. The assembly 110 includes a body 116. The vial heater 114 isheld in the body 116. The vial heater 114 is configured to surround orsubstantially surround the vial 202 when the vial holder 200 holding thevial is inserted into the cavity 112.

A seat 120 is on the body 116. The seat 120 may be or include a gasket.The vial heater assembly 110 may be coupled to the housing 102 (FIG. 2)at the seat 120 (e.g., using fasteners). A connection 122 for the needletrap heater 240 is on the seat 120. The needle trap heater connection122 may include one or more contacts, pads, or receptacles 124.

Referring to FIG. 7, the vial holder 200 includes a connection 256 forthe vial heater assembly 110 on the body 204 of the vial holder 200. Thevial heater connection 256 may include one or more pins 258 (e.g., pogopins).

The connections 122, 256 are configured to engage one another when thevial holder 200 is inserted into the vial heater assembly cavity 112 ofthe sample preparation station 100. For example, the pins 258 of theconnection 256 may be received in or on the pads or the receptacles 254of the connection 252. With this configuration, the needle trap heater240 and the vial heater 248 may both be powered by the power supply 122(FIG. 1). Further, the vial holder 240 is electrically connected to thecontroller 118 and is in fluid communication with the purge gas supply116 (FIG. 1).

Other configurations are contemplated. For example, the needle trapheater connection 122 may include one or more pins and the vial heaterconnection 256 may include one or more pads or receptacles.

The needle trap 300 is described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. Theneedle trap 300 includes a needle packed with a sorbent bed and is usedfor extraction of a sample followed by thermal desorption into a GCsystem.

The needle trap 300 may include a body 302 having a stop 304. A needle306 extends from the body 302. The needle 306 includes a proximal endportion 305 held by the body 302 and an opposite distal end portion 307.The needle 306 includes a rounded tip 308 at a distal working end. Afirst loose fitting piece of wire 310 is in the rounded tip 308. Thefirst loose fitting piece of wire 310 may be cut at an angle. Thefunction of the first loose fitting piece of wire 310 may be to keepfirst and second packing beds 312, 314 from falling out of the needle306.

The first packing bed 312 is disposed in the needle 306 and is adjacentthe first loose fitting piece of wire 310. The second packing bed 314 isdisposed in the needle 306 and is adjacent the first packing bed 312. Asecond loose fitting wire 318 is disposed in the needle 306 and isadjacent the second packing bed 314. The second loose fitting wire 318extends past a side hole 320. A tight fitting wire 322 is disposedadjacent the second loose fitting wire 318 and extends out of the needle306 opposite the working end. The function of the tight fitting wire 322may be to act as a plug that prevents the flow of fluid past the sidehole 320 and out of the non-working end of the needle 306. The side hole320 may be sealed by a sleeve 326 such as a Teflon sleeve.

The needle trap 300 may be the same or similar to the needle trapdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,322,750, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The process for obtaining a purge and trap sample using the system 10will now be described. The needle trap 300 is first installed into thevial holder 200. This is illustrated in FIG. 10. In this installedposition, the needle 306 of the needle trap 300 may be received in theneedle trap protection needle 212 of the vial holder 200. The stop 304of the needle trap 300 may abut an annular raised member 260 on an upperportion of the body 204 of the vial holder 200 (FIG. 4). The assemblyshown in FIG. 10 may be referred to herein as a vial holder-needle trapassembly.

The vial 202 is then inserted into the vial holder 200. The vial 202 isshown in a fully inserted position in FIG. 11. The vial 202 may beinserted into the chamber 206 of the vial holder 200 as described above.In the fully inserted position, the purge gas needle 210 and the needletrap protection needle 212 may pierce or puncture the septum 226 of thevial 202. As described above, the needle trap protection needle 212 isoptional. When omitted, the needle 306 of the needle trap 300 may beinserted directly in the vial 202. The assembly shown in FIG. 11 may bereferred to herein as a vial holder-needle trap-vial assembly.

The present inventors have determined that it is important to installthe needle trap 300 into the vial holder 200 before installing the vial202 into the vial holder 200. If the vial is under pressure, which couldbe caused by changes in the temperature of the sample, installing thevial without the needle trap in place could result in loss of analytes.That is, there may already be analytes in the head space above thesample that may be lost upon subsequent heating. The analytes would belost by venting from the vial through the empty needle trap protectionneedle. With the needle trap in place, if there is pressure build up itwill vent through the needle trap and any analytes will be captured onthe needle trap.

Referring to FIG. 12, the vial holder 200 is next inserted into vialheater assembly 110 (e.g., into the receiving cavity 112) of the samplepreparation station 100. A clip 262 may be received around the stop 304of the needle trap 300 and the annular raised member 260 of the vialholder 200 (FIG. 10). The clip 262 may be installed before the vialholder 200 is inserted into the vial heater assembly 110. As describedabove, the needle trap heater 240 may be connected to the vial heaterassembly 110 by slidably inserting the vial holder 200 into the cavity112.

A purge temperature preheat step is next carried out. This step mayallow for the sample S (FIG. 11) to reach equilibrium. The purgetemperature preheat parameters and initiation may be set and carried outusing the HMI 120 of the sample preparation station 100. The vial heater114 and/or the needle trap heater 240 may be used during the purgetemperature preheat step. The temperature of the vial heater 118 may bemeasured using the temperature sensor 115 and the temperature of theneedle trap heater 240 may be measured using the temperature sensor 242.

A purge step is next carried out at the temperatures from the preheatstep. The sample S (FIG. 11) may be at a lower portion 229 of the vial202. The sample S may be either a liquid (e.g., water) or a solid. Asshown in FIG. 11, if the sample S is a liquid, the purge gas needle 210may extend into the sample S and gas may be purged through the liquid.Alternatively, for some liquid sample S or if the sample S is a solid,the purge gas needle 210 may be positioned above the sample S and gasmay be purged over the head space of the sample.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, after the sample has reached thepreheat temperature, an inert gas (e.g., helium or nitrogen) is suppliedfrom the gas supply 116 to the inlet port 230 of the vial holder 200 andthrough the purge gas needle 210. The inert gas is thereby purgedthrough the liquid or over the head space of the liquid or solid.Resultant vapors are passed through the needle trap 300. Analytes aretrapped on the packing bed 312 and/or the packing bed 314 in the needletrap 300. Complicated plumbing is not needed because the purge gasneedle 210 and/or the needle trap protection needle 212 are insertedinto the top of the vial 202.

The present technology employs the needle trap heater 240 to control thetemperature of the needle 306 of the needle trap 300 to thereby preventwater from condensing on the needle 306 of the needle trap 300. Thistemperature can be offset either by a positive or a negative value fromthe vial temperature. The temperature of the needle trap heater 240 canalso be set to match the temperature of the vial heater 118. The needletrap heater offset may be set using the HMI 120 of the samplepreparation station 100.

Water condensation on the packing of the needle trap will result in poorand irreproducible recoveries of analytes. It may only take 1° C. or 2°C. of additional heating to prevent water from condensing on thepacking. Where used, the needle trap protection needle may be metal andmay extend into the vial as does the packing material. The needle trapprotection needle may therefore provide some heat conduction to thepacked part of the needle trap in addition to protecting the needle trapfrom plugging.

The present inventors have determined, using the embodiments describedherein, that an offset of 7° C. is adequate to prevent condensation onthe packing of the needle trap needle. The actual temperature of thepacking is less than the offset value because the needle trap needleextends into the top of the vial. The area where the packing is locatedis 1 mm from the tip of the needle. This is why the needle trap heatertemperature needs to be offset by more than just 1° C. or 2° C. toprevent condensation.

The system 10 may be used for preparing samples including analytes suchas volatile organic compounds from water samples.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the system 10 may include a portable gaschromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) instrument 400. The samplecollected in the needle trap 300 may be desorbed in the instrument 400for analysis.

Use of purge and trap (P&T) and heated head space (HHS) equipment iscommon in the laboratory. Such devices are less common for fieldsampling. This is because of the high energy costs of heating watersamples and the difficulty in dealing with water condensing on thesorbent traps. The high energy costs are a problem in a field portableinstrument due to the desire to use battery power to improveportability. The high power consumption is not only due to heatingsamples but also due to the hardware needed to collect the sample andthen desorb it into an analytical instrument. An added problem is thenegative effect of moisture on the collection efficiency of traps usedfor post-purge sample collection. If water condenses on the trapmaterial during the purge process, the collection efficiency of the trapcan be reduced. Even in cases where smaller amounts of water are trappedthat do not negatively affect trapping efficiency, the trapped water canstill have a detrimental effect on the performance of the analyticalinstrument. For example, water entering a gas chromatographic column cancause poor retention time repeatability. The present technologyaddresses this problem by providing the needle trap heater that may havean offset temperature setting.

In laboratory equipment, conditions are controlled to avoid thecollection of water. This control happens in the form of dry purges tomove the water while still retaining the analytes. Once the water hasbeen removed then the analytes are desorbed from the trap into ananalytical system such as a gas chromatography (GC) instrument. In thefield, it is necessary to carry gas supplies and batteries making itdesirable to efficiently use gas and electrical energy. Dry purge stepsrequire the use of extra gas and require complicated plumbing to routethe gas past the sample vial so that it will not move more water to thecollection trap. The complicated plumbing must be temperature controlledso that water and analytes will not get caught in the lines or valvesused for the gas routing. This uses more electrical energy than isdesirable for a field portable instrument. With the present technology,complicated plumbing is not needed because the purge gas needle and/orthe needle trap protection needle are inserted into the top of the vial.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present technology and is not to beconstrued as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments ofthis technology have been described, those skilled in the art willreadily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplaryembodiments without materially departing from the teachings andadvantages of this technology. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined inthe claims. The technology is defined by the following claims, withequivalents of the claims to be included therein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vial holder for use in a system for preparing asample, the vial holder comprising: a body; a vial chamber held by andextending downwardly from the body; a purge gas needle held by andextending downwardly from the body in the vial chamber; and a needletrap heater in the body; wherein: the vial holder is configured toconnect with a needle trap such that a needle of the needle trapcontaining at least one bed of packing material is at least partiallysurrounded by the needle trap heater; the vial holder with the needletrap connected thereto is configured to receive the vial through an endopening at a bottom of the vial chamber and into the vial chamber suchthat the purge gas needle punctures a septum that is positioned at anupper portion of the vial; and, the vial holder with the needle trapconnected thereto and the vial received therein is configured to beslidably received in a vial heater assembly of a sample preparationstation in an installed position with the vial at least partiallysurrounded by a vial heater of the vial heater assembly.
 2. The vialholder of claim 1 further comprising a plate in the vial chamber and aspring between the plate and the body, wherein: the vial chambercomprises a terminal end defining the end opening; and, the vial holderis configured to receive the vial through the end opening and into thevial chamber such that the plate is urged upwardly and the spring iscompressed.
 3. The vial holder of claim 2 wherein: the vial chamberdefines a central axis; the purge gas needle extends along the centralaxis; the purge gas needle extends through the plate; and, the plate andthe spring cooperate to maintain the purge gas needle along the centralaxis as the vial holder receives the vial.
 4. The vial holder of claim 1wherein: the vial holder comprises a needle trap cover extendingdownwardly from the body in the vial chamber; and the needle trap coveris configured to receive the needle of the needle trap when the vialholder is connected with the needle trap.
 5. The vial holder of claim 4wherein the needle trap heater surrounds at least a portion of theneedle trap cover.
 6. The vial holder of claim 5 wherein: the vialchamber defines a central axis; the purge gas needle defines a purge gasneedle axis that is substantially coaxial with the central axis; and,the needle trap cover defines a needle trap cover axis that is offsetfrom and substantially parallel to the central axis.
 7. The vial holderof claim 1 wherein: a purge gas inlet is connected to or defined in thebody; and, a purge gas flow channel is defined in the body and extendsbetween the purge gas inlet and the purge gas needle.
 8. The vial holderof claim 7 further comprising a check valve in the purge gas flowchannel.
 9. A vial holder for use in a system for preparing a sample,the vial holder comprising: a body; a vial chamber held by and extendingdownwardly from the body; a purge gas needle held by and extendingdownwardly from the body in the vial chamber; and, a needle trap heaterin the body; wherein: the vial holder is configured to connect with aneedle trap such that a needle of the needle trap containing at leastone bed of packing material is at least partially surrounded by theneedle trap heater; the vial holder with the needle trap connectedthereto is configured to receive the vial in the vial chamber such thatthe purge gas needle punctures a septum that is positioned at an upperportion of the vial; the vial holder with the needle trap connectedthereto and the vial received therein is configured to be slidablyreceived in a vial heater assembly of a sample preparation station in aninstalled position with the vial at least partially surrounded by a vialheater of the vial heater assembly, and, the vial holder furthercomprising a vial heater connection on the body, wherein the vial heaterconnection is configured to engage a needle trap heater connection onthe vial heater assembly when the vial holder is slidably received inthe vial heater assembly of the sample preparation station in theinstalled position.